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Post by cheryl on Jan 19, 2010 0:40:15 GMT
Any advice, My friend has just bought a kitten from a farm, he's 8 weeks old, he was a bit "hissy" at 1st but already is coming round and likes cuddles, he still hisses sometimes but in the main he's fine. The problem is litter training the cats were in a barn and no litter was used. He has not got a clue what he's supposed to be doing, being in a house is all new to him. He's pooping where ever he is when he needs to go and has wee'd on my friend and her daughter. she's trying to confine him to one area as much as possible but obviously he needs to be with the family too so he can learn to trust them properly. any tips?
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Post by Chris - Cats Protection on Jan 19, 2010 11:18:00 GMT
feral kittens have to be retrained, and the only way is to cage them for a while, so they learn to use the litter.
We deal with ferals all the time, and they do learn, but, if they are allowed to run free, they wont come around 100% nor will they learn to use litter Im afraid.
At 8 weeks, they are well set in their ways... so tell her not to waste time, and confine the kitten as soon as possible.
Buying kittens raised in a barn is never a great idea unless you know what you are doing..
Tell her to consult me, if she needs more help
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Post by cheryl on Jan 19, 2010 14:50:01 GMT
Thanks Chris i wondered if a cage would be the best way.
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Post by Chris - Cats Protection on Jan 19, 2010 21:39:36 GMT
I think so ...
Most ferals feel secure when in a cage, hence you can handle them better.
A lot of people forget they are dealing with a cat, not a baby, hence they allow the cat to roam freely all over the house. They dont realise that the more space the cat has, the more danger they feel could be around every corner..
A cage helps them feel secure, then from there, access to one room, then two and so on..
I have ferals who to this day will come into the house, and instantly drop onto their bellies and sort of slink around the room, very slowly ... as if something is going to jump out and attack them..
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Post by cheryl on Jan 20, 2010 23:19:41 GMT
the kitten seems to be doing ok. When my friend is not home and at night he's confined to the bathroom,(no carpets) he's using the tray, through the day when she's there he's allowed in the front room only where she is, and upto now he's not messed outside his tray. Still she's seriously thinking of caging him for a while but then again he seems to be getting the idea of where his toilet is.
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Post by Chris - Cats Protection on Jan 21, 2010 12:29:57 GMT
This sounds good.. although confining him to a cage would help with trust issues.
Even a cage set up to put him into for an hour prior to letting him free in the living area, would help.
Out of my lot, I have one feral male, who came to me when he was around 6-7 months, I didnt cage him, and now he is 9 years old and I can only handle him by trapping him.
Some just dont come around to handling, but you can never be certain of that unless you try.
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Post by cheryl on Jan 25, 2010 10:09:36 GMT
I was at my Friends on Saturday night and spend most of the night with the kitten curled up on my lap, he came to me and just plonked himself on me. She's had him just 1 week and he seems to me as tame as a kitten raised in a house and handled a lot. I think she took a huge risk with this kitten but he really does seem fine. He's still not getting the full run of the house.
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Post by Chris - Cats Protection on Feb 9, 2010 18:40:23 GMT
Sounds like she has cracked it ! which is wonderful. Feral cats come in three levels, 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation. If its a first gen, then one parent and at least 2 grandparents are domestic. 2nd gen, can have feral parents who have at least 2 parents who are domestic 3rd gen, well their domestic genes are so far back, that they dont influence the cats personality. on finding feral kittens, we have to asses quickly what gen we feel they are, as 3rd gen seldom come around completely. I have a third gen boy, he is now 9 years old and I have never been able to handle him, although I am making headway, as he batters me over the head daily when I bend down to scoop up some cat biscuits to feed them all...
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